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Solar Wardens
The Solar Wardens are a 25th Founding Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and the sole descendants of the Hammer Guard Chapter. Casting aside the Codex Astartes, the Solar Wardens have instead a more unique structure to their chapter. While calling the world of Mhuir home, they recruit from the planet of Coille, adopting the tribal ways of their recruits. They are savage and aggressive warriors, but are honorable in nature and loyal to the Imperium to a fault. History Created as one of the last chapters from the 25th Founding, right before the start of the 41st Millennium, the Solar Wardens have already made a name for themselves. Created to protect the Mhuir system and the surrounding systems from the forces of Chaos located in the Maelstrom, they have made numerous attacks on the worlds surrounding the Maelstrom, and have defended their local systems from uncountable raids from Chaos. The Aois Òir The Solar Wardens began without knowledge of the ways of their progenitors or the Primarch they descended from. So, without a figure to revere, they turned to their first Great Chieftain, Breandan Fireblade. Under his guidance they created their own doctrines and organization, looking to the Clans they recruited from to form their organization. After ensuring the chapter's organization was complete, Great Chieftain Fireblade turned his gaze to war. He deployed each Clan into a campaign of their own, before deploying his own Warrior Clan into their own conquests. For nearly 2 centuries the chapter fought in conquest after conquest, each Clan returning home only to serve their time as the Masters of the Watch and refill their ranks. All of that would change on the world of Corella. Calling his Wolf and Bear Clans to join him, Great Chieftain Fireblade assaulted the corrupted hive world of Corella. There, alongside members of the 4th Court of the Jiangshi Riders, Great Chieftain Fireblade fought warriors of the Dark Gods to return the planet to the Imperium. His tactics and forces annihilated his foe, but the victory was short lived. In a moce that shocked even the grim Jiangshi Riders, Fireblade was assassinated by a Vindicator Assassin, struck in the head after he was taking a celebratory drink. The Solar Wardens were horrified and distraught to lose their leader in such a way, and would slowly grow more reserved, until they were reunited with their progenitors. The Aois Òir was over. Reunited with their Progenitors The Solar Wardens, hearing their progenitors had returned, would seek out the Hammer Guard and finally meet those they had succeeded. Upon meeting, the Hammer Guard would begin to educate the Solar Wardens on their past, and would serve together several times, mimicking the ways of the legions of old. Before they returned to acting independently, the Solar Wardens had changed their chapter cult, and would be versed in the potential shame that stained their history. Knowing this shame, they sought to redeem themselves in the eyes of the immortal Emperor, becoming more aggressive and unrelenting in their attacks and more active in service. They would begin to sculpt their armor and having their artificers create memorials for their victories in the Emperor's name, creating an influx of artificer and master-crafted gear. Flaws Revealed In 467.M41 the Boar Clan would come upon the world of Aithris. There, they would find a world under assault from the forces of Tzeentch. They quickly deployed to aide the world, and began unrelenting assault after unrelenting assault, pushing back the servants of the Architect of Fate. But their victories would come at a cost, the value of which was revealed as they engaged the Lord of Change that commanded the Daemons that assaulted the planet. As they launched their attack, a third of the Boar Clan would descend into madness, slaughtering everything in their path without care, before falling dead as their brains were destroyed. After the battle, the Boar Clan hastily retreated to Mhuir, where it was discovered that the Biscopea, one that had been perfectly stable before, had mutated and destroyed the brain from the inside, driving a marine mad with pain and into a bloodthristy rage. Soon, every Clan was reporting this flaw. The Forsaken Heresy The Solar Wardens and Hammer Guard would both suffer a blow, one that would unite them for years to come, in 981.M41. Deployed with the Wolf Clan to the world of Gaisg, the Boar Clan would reveal that they had been corrupted, and would fire upon their brothers, before leaving the system and joining the other members of the newly-revealed Forsaken Hammers. The Wolf Clan would call out to their brothers of the Boar Clan's treachery, referring to them as the Serpent Clan. The Eagle Clan, the first to recieve their message, would redirect to the Solaritus System, joined by the injured wolves. Together, they would aid the Hammer Guard in the pursuit of their kin, and the Eagle Clan would catch half of the Serpents in the Dìoghaltas System. There, they would board the battle-barge Sol's Wrath, where they would butcher their kin in a vengeful fury, and reclaim the vessel for the Solar Wardens, purifying and cleansing it. The Days of Binding The Great Rift would split the Solar Wardens into three different parts. Just on the other side of the Cicatrix Maledictum from Mhuir, the Wolf Clan would be forced to fight off attacks from Daemons as their numbers slowly declined, leaving them with around 50 Astartes by the time the Indomitus Crusade rescued them. In Segmentum Tempestus, the Eagle Clan would be trapped in a Warp Storm and fend off a warband of Black Legionnaires before the storm passed, and they returned to Mhuir. But, when both Clans returned to Mhuir, they found no sign of their brothers. With their Monastery of Eilean Daingnich left untouched, the Chieftains came to realize that their brothers may have vanished, lost into the warp as they tried to find their kin. Vowing to find his kin, Diarmid Warhowl, Chieftain of the Wolf Clan, temporarily accepted the mantle of Great Chieftain. He solemnly stating that his ascension to the role was merely temporary, and that he would step down once his friend and mentor Cinnead Ashtooth returned to claim his place. The newly-crowned Great Chieftain began to rebuild his chapter, having to split apart his Clan to form the starts of the other Clans to teach the new Primaris, which now made up most of the chapter. Meanwhile, the Great Chieftain ordered the other surviving Clan, the Eagles, to depart in search of their lost kin, taking with them whatever Primaris they needed to replenish their ranks. Notable Campaigns * The Battle of Ifrinn (120.M41) - The Battle of Ifrinn was the first battle waged by the Solar Wardens, and was their proving grounds. The system was in desperate need for help after being attacked by the forces of Chaos including their own guardsmen, and the Solar Wardens came to their aid. Immediately after arriving in the system the chapter launched drop pods onto the planet, right on top of the enemy forces. As they emerged from their pods, the Solar Wardens were already swinging with chainswords, power swords and chainaxes in hand. Their surprise attack costed the enemy hundreds of soldiers before they even knew what was happening. The Solar Wardens defeated the enemy in a bloody purge, drowning the traitor guardsmen in their own blood and massacring the Chaos Space Marines the guardsmen were supporting. * Cleansing of Calderon (342.M41) - In 342.M41, as the Wolf Clan was finishing a cleanse of an unnamed hive world, they received a distress signal from the Forge World of Calderon. The World had fallen prey to heretics and Chaos Space Marines, and the population was being captured or killed at a rapid rate. The Solar Wardens soon departed towards the planet, arriving to find the planet consumed by Chaos, with no survivors. The Clan bombarded the planet from orbit before landing to finish off the survivors, cleansing the planet thoroughly and painfully. * The Trials of Azkab (650.M41) - In a battle that lasted a month, the Solar Wardens chased sorcerers of Tzeentch across the world of Azkab, enduring long and painful trials to reach each sorcerer, usually resulting in a fight with dozens of cultists and chaos space marines. The most famous of the trails was the Maze of Azkab, a 3 kilometer long and 7 kilometer wide labyrinth, which saw members of the Boar Clan be separated and ambushed, lead into traps, and be tortured to death in brutal and obscene ways. Eventually young Alpin Bloodfang and his squad found the sorcerer in the center of the labyrinth, in a ritual that would spawn a Daemon of the Architect of Fate. Alpin and his squad stopped the ritual, the Sorcerer slain by Alpin's blade, Fang of Sol. Gene-seed The Solar Wardens share their progenitor's lack of a Betcher's Gland and Sus-an Membrane. Alongside that, their progenitor's melanchrome mutation has been amplified in the Solar Wardens, leading to almost translucent white skin and and pure black eyes. The Solar Wardens also have a higher rate of mutation than their progenitors, marking a pattern of gene-seed instability as it strays further from the original stock. The Solar Wardens also have a curse of their own, known as the Blood Rage. In the midst of battle, a Solar Warden Astartes may lose control and begin attacking indiscriminately, even if they catch their own brothers in their bloody path, as a mutated Biscopea destroys their brain slowly and painfully from within. These Astartes spend their last moments in blind rage and other pain, and if they manage to survive long enough to survive the battle, they are put down by their mournful brothers. Due to the suspicious nature surrounding the origin of this flaw, the Inquisition has tested the purity of the Solar Wardens on a higher rate than other chapters. Recruitment The Aspirants of the Solar Wardens are drawn from the planet Coille, located in the same system as their homeworld of Mhuir. Chosen as the fittest warriors from the feral Clans that call the planet home. These aspirants are taken back to Mhuir, and are tasked with a simple yet highly lethal mission: They must find and hunt one of the five feral animal species that call the scarce lands of Mhuir home. The animal they return with, be it one of the intelligent and hunting dire wolves, massive and unflinching Bear, or aggressive and unpredictable Boar, decides the Clan that the aspirant will join. Chapter Organization The Solar Wardens choose to make their own setup, casting aside the Codex Astartes. Each Company, or Clan, is based on an animal, and so their fighting style reflects it. The Primaris marines gifted to the Solar Wardens were quickly adopted into the weakened chapter, and were assigned a Clan based on their troop type. Command Ranks * Great Chieftain (Chapter Master) * Tánaiste (Regent) * Chieftain (Captains) * Seanchaí (Reclusiarch/Chaplains) * Druids (Librarians) ** Chief Druid (Chief Librarian) ** Druid Teachdaire (Epistolary) ** Druid Eachdraiche (Codicier) ** Druid (Lexicanium) * Innealradh (Tech Marine) ** Goibhnea (Master of the Forge) * Lighiche (Apothecaries) * Sàirdseant (Sergeant) Veteran Ranks * Bhuadhaiche (Clan Champion) * Saighdear (Terminators) * Seirbheis (Warrior Clan veteran squads) * Geàrd Onair (Honor Guard) * Brataich (Standard Bearer) * Stalcair (Wolf Pack Hunting Squads) * Sgriosair (Bear Clan Heavy Squads) * Fiongan (Eagle Clan Strike Squads) Line formations Battleline Squads * Innleachdach (Tactical Marines) * Laoch (Primaris Intercessors) * Snaidhpear (Scouts) * Cothromach (Boar Clan Aspirant-Mentor Squads) Close Support Squads * Ionnsaigh (Assault Marines) * Sealgair (Primaris Reivers) * Clamhan (Primaris Inceptors) Fire Support Squads * Rionnag (Primaris Hellblasters) * Famhair (Primaris Aggressors) Order of battle Chapter Command Companies Combat Doctrine Each Clan in the Solar Wardens operates differently from the others, using methods of war and fighting styles similar to the animal their Clan is named after. As such, each Clan follows a different combat doctrine, sharing similarities with other Clans but remaining independent. Warrior Clan: Mastery of All The Warrior Clan is made up of the veterans of all the other Clans, and possess knowledge of their tactics. With a Clan filled with masters of their respective ways of war, the Warrior Clan is the most flexible, able to quickly shift from one tactic to another, choosing which situation would best fit a Clan and adopting their tactics. Similar to Deathwatch Kill-Teams, the squads of the Warrior Clan are flexible and consist of members with their own tactics and fighting styles, and as such, the position of leader is often passed around based on which Clan tactic is being used in the moment. Wolf Clan: Hunting Packs The Wolf Clan consist of bloodthirsty hunters, that, in any other chapter, may become reckless and independent. In the Wolf Clan, however, the importance of the pack is important. Operating either as a full pack or even as a small party, the Wolf Clan prefers to degrade it's foe with rapid strikes and gun down the weakest members, before circling their wounded prey and striking in for a kill, the pack charging in together with blades and bolters at the ready. Stalcair: The Heralds of the Hunt The Stalcair are the Wolf Clan's elite hunter squads. Consisting of veterans from the Wolf Clan, the Stalcair are made up of a mix of Laoch, Innleachdach, and Sealgair veterans, these melee-oriented squads will advance ahead of the pack, tracking their foe. It is their job to locate their foe and strike at it to weaken it, then signal the pack so that all may share in the kill. Eagle Clan: Death from the Skies The Eagle Clan are perhaps the most graceful killers, the Eagle Clan prefers to strike at their opponent from above, dropping from the sky in Thunderhawks, Drop Pods, Grav-Chutes or Jump Packs. They will strike their foe fast and hard, their talons tearing into their prey before they rise back into the sky, circling their foe and preparing to dive back in for the kill. Fiongan: The Rending Talons Of all the warriors of the Eagle Clan, none are as unknown and respected as the Fiongan. Silent, like the champion they follow, the Fiongan are veteran Ionnsaigh and Clamhan whose faces and names are known only by the Chieftains, and their original identities are listed as KIA. Armed with axes, claws, and assault bolters, these elite warriors follow the Fuilteach Iolair from orbit, dropping into the enemy lines and hunting down the enemy commanders, decapitating the enemy force so that they are powerless to stop the rest of the Clan. Bear Clan: Fearsome Endurance Renowned for their toughness, the Bear Clan are the experts at armored and heavy assaults. With vehicles and their Sgriosair at the front, the Bear Clan marches forward, shrugging off wounds that would obliterate mortal men. They march forward under the cover of heavy firepower, and upon reaching their foes, hacking them apart with their close support squads. They are unrelenting in their advance, and seemingly indomitable to their foe. Sgriosair: The Indomitable Vanguard The Sgriosair are the most feared and respected within the Bear Clan. Made up of those veterans who have chosen to stay with their Clan, the Sgriosair are clad in Terminator or Mark X Gravis armor, and all are given free choice over their weapon. Deployed at the front lines, these veterans endure the brunt of the enemy firepower, shrugging it off as they cut down their foe in swathes of gunfire and roast them in promethium, before digging in with their claws. Boar Clan: Reckless Savagery The Boar Clan is the youngest of the 5 Clans, having been reborn after the now so-called Serpent Clan rebelled. It is often the destination for the most savage of the chapter's aspirants, for to hunt and kill the fearsome boar you must match it's level of violent savagery, or die to it's tusks. The aspirants often possess a bloodlust unmatched in the other Clans, and they use this bloodlust as a weapon, carving into their foes and tearing through them wildly. Cothromach: Taming the Spirit The Cothromach are the main troop squads of the Boar Clan. They consist of young aspirants and their mentors, who are there to train the aspirant on how to temper their bloodlust and use it to their advantage. These mentors teach them how to use their newfound desire for battle as a source of morale when the battle is turning against them, and as a finely-tuned weapon, unleashing it upon their foe to overwhelm them. Notable Solar Wardens * Breandan Fireblade - Solar Wardens hero of legend - 'Breandan Fireblade was the second Great Chieftain of the Solar Wardens, and lead the chapter on 3 centuries of crusades, defending the worlds surrounding the Maelstrom and bringing sectors back to the Emperor's light with righteous fury. He was slain during the War for Corella, but not by the enemy. As he struck down the Chaos Lord controlling the planet, his neck was pierced by the turbo-penetrator round of a Vindicare assassin. The Solar Wardens never discovered the reasons of his death, and have a special hatred for the Officio Assassinorum because of this. * '''Cinead Ashtooth - '''Cinead Ashtooth, originally of the Wolf Clan, was the Great Chieftain of the Solar Wardens and was a brilliant warrior, having lead for 3 centuries before he disappeared. * '''Fuilteach Iolair - '''Fuilteach Iolair, as he as now known as, is the Bhuadhaiche of the Eagle Clan, a position he refuses to move beyond. His name, translating into "Falcon of Blood," comes from the same tragedy as his eerie silence. As a Ghaisgeach, his patrol was ambushed and he was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, had no memory of his attacker, the only signs of battle being the gory remains of his brothers, and the blood covering his armor. Since then he has decorated his armor and lightning claw in images of blood, and has vowed silence until he finds those who murdered his brothers. * '''Diarmid Warhowl - '''Now the Great Chieftain of the Solar Wardens, Diarmid Warhowl originally led the Wolf Clan, and is a brilliant tactician, along with a bloodthirsty warrior. His chainaxe is a legendary weapon, and his skill with it has earned the respect of his chapter. He is the first Great Chieftain to lead without the ''Shield of Sol, a notable difference that the chapter believes will be the first of many changes in the chapter, either good or bad. Fortress Monastery The Fortress Monastery of the Solar Wardens, Eilean Daingnich, sits on the coast of the Great Ocean of Mhuir, which covers 79% of the planet's surface. It is a massive complex both above and below ground, surrounded by the giant trees that cover the planet's surface. In the center of the complex lies the Great Hall, which is filled with the artwork and sculptures of the Solar Wardens, as well as their trophies. Mhuir, the homeworld of the Solar Wardens, is almost entirely covered in water. What land that exists is untouched by any humans barring the Solar Wardens themselves, and rife with plants and animals. The planet is located near the Maelstrom, near the notorious jungle world of Catachan. Chapter Fleet The Chapter has a larger fleet, with 3 battle barges in it's ranks, to accommodate for the size of each Clan. * '''Blade of Sol- Battle Barge * Sol's Wrath- Battle Barge * Fireblade's Vengeance- Battle Barge * Guardian Wolf- Strike Cruiser * Fearsome Predator- Strike Cruiser * Boar's Fang- Strike Cruiser * Eagle's Razor- Strike Cruiser Chapter Relics * 'Fireblade's Teeth- '''The chainaxe wielded by Breandan Fireblade, Fireblade's Teeth is an ancient artificer chainaxe whose teeth are said to pierce even ceramite. It lies at the end of the Great Hall, placed in the wall and protected by glass, visible for all to see * '''Shield of Sol- '''A specially designed shield to resemble the shape of a star, the Shield of Sol is given to all Great Chieftains of the chapter to wield in battle. * '''Bloodied Talon- '''A rare crusade pattern lightning claw, the Bloodied Talon is given to the champion of the Eagle Clan. It is currently wielded by the silent warrior known as Fuilteach Iolair Beliefs and Culture The Solar Wardens, like their progenitors, seek redemption for their ancestor's sins. However, while the Hammer Guard seek redemption through death in service to the Emperor, the Solar Wardens seek to venerate him, both through war and through great artifice. On the battlefield, every death they take is taken in the Emperor's name, and with every victory they venerate Him, praying that through the death they bring in His name, they will redeem themselves of all the death their ancestors have brought to His servants. They also create great works of art to venerate him, such as having their artificers design their armor to imitate the human body and it's purity, for it imitates his perfect image. They also have their artificers create great works of art to venerate the Emperor, and will even carve their own artwork, such as angelic beings to represent his Living Saints, into their armor, as each member of the chapter is taught to be an artificer of his own. They celebrate his purity and the purity of his subjects, cursing the appearance of the xenos and mutant as inferior and unworthy. The Solar Path Once a member of the Solar Wardens dies, they believe his soul roams the stars, finding it's way back to Sol, and from there to the realm of the Emperor. As they actively roam the starts in search of battle, the Solar Wardens revere every star they pass, for they may soon find that very star on their path to the Emperor. As such, they will worship the Emperor under every star they pass by burning small figures made of wax or straw, either within their quarters or on the planets they will soon fight on. Their Lost Brothers The Days of Binding, those dark days they were left stranded in the Dark imperium, were perhaps the most devastating for the chapter. Only 2 companies survived, the other 3 vanishing, no traces of where they went left on Mhuir or any nearby system. The Solar Wardens still search for these lost brothers, even Great Chieftain Diarmid Warhowl hoping that his lofty position is only a temporary one, and that he is only keeping order while Great Chieftain Ashtooth is away. In reality, the Boar, Warrior, and Bear Clans had attempted to find their brothers, but were attacked in the warp after they had made a risky, blind jump through the Immaterium. When they emerged from this jump, they were dropped off weakened and vulnerable, not knowing when and where exactly they were. Relations Allies Hammer Guard There is no greater example of the bond between progenitor and successor than the relationship between the Hammer Guard and Solar Wardens. Despite many differences, the two chapters will often work in concert with one another. They also bear the same shame, and are both dedicated to the eradication of their former kin. Jiangshi Riders Both the Jiangshi Riders and Solar Wardens serve the Emperor with their every action, and despise those who would disgrace him, believing them to be inferior to the righteous and loyal citizen. Both chapters have been known to work together, and although the Jiangshi Riders see themselves as having no allies, the Solar Wardens are more than willing to work alongside them. Enemies Emperor's Children While the Solar Wardens despise all the traitor legions, they harbor a special hatred for the Emperor's Children, for their openness to self-mutilation and experiments on their own bodies, which were given to them by the Emperor. This defiling of the Emperor's perfect image is unforgivable for the Solar Wardens, and they will pursue the warbands of the 3rd at all costs, purging them and hacking apart their mutilated bodies Death Guard For many of the same reasons that the Solar Wardens despise the Emperor's Children, so do they hate the Death Guard. Seeing their betrayal as reason enough to despise them, their willingness to forsake the purity of their bodies for the gifts of Nurgle is too much for the Solar Wardens, and the chapter, especially the Bear Clan, will hunt down their bloated foe and destroy their foul bodies. Forsaken Hammers There are those among the Forsaken Hammers that were once the Solar Wardens, making up the raiding party known as the Serpent Clan. These traitors are a stain upon the chapter's honor, and the Solar Wardens are dedicated to purging them from existence. The Solar Wardens Eagle Clan is dedicated to hunting down these traitors, alongside the Hammer Guard's 3rd Century Notable Quotes ''Feel free to add your own By the Solar Wardens Feel free to add your own About the Solar Wardens Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:25th Founding Category:Imperial Fists Successors